Superfluid and dissipative dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a periodic optical potential

We create Bose-Einstein condensates of 87Rb in a static magnetic trap with a superimposed blue-detuned 1D optical lattice. By displacing the magnetic trap center we are able to control the condensate evolution. We observe a change in the frequency of the center-of-mass oscillation in the harmonic trapping potential, in analogy with an increase in effective mass. For fluid velocities greater than a local speed of sound, we observe the onset of dissipative processes up to full removal of the superfluid component. A parallel simulation study visualizes the dynamics of the Bose-Einstein condensate and accounts for the main features of the observed behavior.     

Spatial interference of coherent atomic waves by manipulation of the internal quantum state

A trapped >(87)Rb Bose-Einstein condensate is initially put into a superposition of two internal states. Under the effect of gravity and by means of a second transition, we prepare two vertically displaced condensates in the same internal state. These constitute two coherent sources of matter waves with adjustable spatial separation. Fringe patterns, observed after free expansion, are associated with the interplay between internal and external degrees of freedom and substantially agree with those for a double-slit experiment.     

Magnetic tunneling told to ignorants by two ignorants

Magnetic tunneling of a large spin subject to the Hamiltonian is investigated by elementary methods for weak fields H. In zero field (H=0) the tunnel frequency in the ground state is found to be equal to [0pt] multiplied by a quantity whose variation with s is slower than exponential. This result coincides with that of path integral methods [#!schi!#]. For the values of the longitudinal field which allow tunneling, the tunnel frequency is shown to vanish when H _y =0 for certain “diabolic" values of [0pt] , in qualitative agreement with experiments by Wernsdorfer and Sessoli. The particular case H _z =0 was already obtained by Garg by means of path integrals. The diabolic values of are in agreement with numerical results but, as already noticed by Wernsdorfer and Sessoli, they disagree with the experimental ones. This may be an effect of higher order anisotropy terms, which is briefly addressed in the conclusion. Received 17 May 2000     

Ordered Mesoporous Silica Incorporating Platinum Nanoparticles as Electrode Material for Paracetamol Detection

High ordered mesoporous materials (SBA-15) modified with Al and/or B and Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) were used for preparing modified graphite paste electrodes (Pt/M−SBA-15-GPE, where M=Al−, B− or Al−B−) and applied for paracetamol (PA) detection. The electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Square wave voltammetry (SWV) technique was used to obtain the analytical parameters for PA detection. The acquired values of electrochemical and analytical parameters recommend the mesoporous compound containing Pt NPs to be used as composite electrode material for PA detection in real samples.     

Ultracold atoms in a disordered crystal of light: towards a bose glass

We use a bichromatic optical lattice to experimentally realize a disordered system of ultracold strongly interacting 87Rb bosons. In the absence of disorder, the atoms are pinned by repulsive interactions in the sites of an ideal optical crystal, forming one-dimensional Mott-insulator states. We measure the excitation spectrum of the system as a function of disorder strength and characterize its phase-coherence properties with a time-of-flight technique. Increasing disorder, we observe a broadening of the Mott-insulator resonances and the transition to a state with vanishing long-range phase coherence and a flat density of excitations, which suggest the formation of a Bose-glass phase.     

From bouncing to floating: noncoalescence of drops on a fluid bath

When a drop of a viscous fluid is deposited on a bath of the same fluid, it is shown that its coalescence with this substrate is inhibited if the system oscillates vertically. Small drops lift off when the peak acceleration of the surface is larger than g. This leads to a steady regime where a drop can be kept bouncing for any length of time. It is possible to inject more fluid into the drop to increase its diameter up to several centimeters. Such a drop remains at the surface, forming a large sunk hemisphere. When the oscillation is stopped, the two fluids remain separated by a very thin air film, which drains very slowly (approximately 30 min). An analysis using lubrication theory accounts for most of the observations.     

Sialic Acid Engineering of Thin Hydrogel Membranes

We report the synthesis of glycosylated hydrogel membranes of poly{[N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide]‐co‐(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)} with the aim of developing bioactivated polymer substrates for cell culture. 3′‐Sialyllactose, the saccharidic portion of the GM₃ ganglioside involved in cell‐cell recognition over a wide range of biological processes, was chemically modified with an acrylate group and incorporated into the growing macromolecular network of hydrogels by free radical crosslinking copolymerization. The incorporation and accessibility of the sialic acid residues at the hydrogel surface was verified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using mouse monoclonal anti‐GM₃, and by electron microscopy after labeling with lectin‐gold nanoparticles. The water content was further characterized by thermogravimetry.